Network Of Fully Automatic Self-Service Key Duplicating Kiosk

ABSTRACT

A network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks for duplicating keys includes a multiplicity of kiosks at different locations. Each kiosk includes a customer interface, a key-receiving entry, a key analysis system, and a key duplicating system. An original key is analyzed and duplicated to form a first key copy by analyzing a tooth pattern on a blade of the original key and replicating the tooth pattern on a blade of a first key blank. The network also includes a remote central server that is coupled to the kiosks for receiving information from the kiosks and for sending information to the kiosks. The remote central server maintains recorded information for replicating the tooth pattern of the blade of the original key on a blade of a second key blank to form a second key copy.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of prior U.S. applicationSer. No. 13/153,065, filed Jun. 3, 2011, which claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 61/351,046 filed Jun. 3, 2010,both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their respectiveentireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to the field of key duplication. Morespecifically, the invention is directed to a kiosk for automatic keyduplication involving no trained human operator. It only requires acustomer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Duplicate keys are typically cut from pre-existing master keys using ahand-operated table-top tool having two clamps, a cutting wheel, afollower and a cleaning wheel. There is a long-felt need for a fullyautomatic key identifying and/or duplicating machine that can provide aduplicate key for an ordinary consumer in a manner as easy as purchasingan item from a vending machine or receiving money from an automatedteller machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment, a self-service, fully-automatic kioskfor duplicating keys includes a kiosk housing having a customerinterface for receiving payment from a customer for the purchase of atleast one duplicate of the customer's key. A key-receiving entry in thehousing receives at least a portion of the customer's key to beduplicated, and a key analysis system within the housing analyzes theblade of a key inserted in the key-receiving entry to determine whetherthe inserted key matches one of a group of preselected key types and, ifso, which preselected key type is matched. A key blank magazine withinthe housing stores key blanks for each of the preselected key types. Akey blank extraction system extracts from the magazine a key blank forthe preselected key type matched by the blade of the key inserted in thekey-receiving entry. Then a key duplicating system within the kioskreplicates the tooth pattern of the blade of the key inserted in thekey-receiving entry, on the blade of the extracted key blank. The kioskincludes a processor coupled to sensors and controllable devices withinthe kiosk and to a communications port for communicating with a remotecentral server. The processor is programmed to display multipleavailable manual commands in response to an input signal requesting sucha display, and, in response to manual selection of the commands, toproduce signals that energize and de-energize selected devices withinthe kiosk, thereby permitting remote manual control of the devices andmechanisms associated with those devices. The processor may also beprogrammed to control a video camera within the kiosk, in response tocommand signals received from the remote central server via thecommunications port, so that a remote operator can view the interior ofthe kiosk while manually controlling devices within the kiosk. Thestatus of multiple devices within the kiosk may also be displayed by theprocessor in response to a signal from the remote computer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood from the following descriptionof preferred embodiments together with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective of a key-duplicating kiosk.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective of the same kiosk shown in FIG. 1 with thefront panel opened to reveal the internal structure.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the electrical system in thekiosk of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective of the key entry in the front wall ofthe kiosk of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 5 is a screen shot of a “Welcome” screen in the display in thefront wall of the kiosk of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 6 is a screen shot of a “Select A Key Design” screen in the displayin the front wall of the kiosk of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 7 is a screen shot of a “Select Key Quantity” screen in the displayin the front wall of the kiosk of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 8 is a screen shot of a “Review Order and Pay” screen in thedisplay in the front wall of the kiosk of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 9 is a screen shot of a “Insert Your Key Below” screen in thedisplay in the front wall of the kiosk of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 10 is a screen shot of an “Insert and Hold Your Key” screen in thedisplay in the front wall of the kiosk of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 11 is a screen shot of a “Please Wait . . . In Progress” screen inthe display in the front wall of the kiosk of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 12 is a screen shot of a “Thank You” screen in the display in thefront wall of the kiosk of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 13 is a screen shot of an “Email Receipt” screen in the display inthe front wall of the kiosk of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the key entry door mechanism shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, with the door in its closed and latched position.

FIG. 15 is a front elevation of the key entry door mechanism shown inFIG. 14, with the door in a partially open and unlatched position.

FIG. 16 is front elevation of the key entry door mechanism shown in FIG.14, with the door in a fully open and unlatched position.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the master key-alignment, clamping andanalysis systems in the kiosk of FIGS. 1 and 2, with a master key fullyinserted.

FIG. 18 is a slightly rotated and enlarged perspective view of themaster-key clamping and analysis systems shown in FIG. 17, with themaster key not yet inserted.

FIG. 19 is a further enlarged perspective of the master-key lengthsensing system in the master-key analysis system shown in FIGS. 17 and18, with the tip of the master key engaging the length-sensing system.

FIG. 20 is an enlarged perspective view of the left-hand portion of thesystems shown in FIG. 17, with the master key-alignment system in itsfully advanced position and the profile-matching gauges in theirkey-engaging positions.

FIG. 21 is an enlarged and exploded perspective of the left-hand portionof the master-key alignment system shown in FIGS. 17 and 20.

FIG. 22 is an enlarged top plan view of the master-key alignmentmechanism advanced to its intermediate or “low-force” position and withthe master key not yet inserted.

FIG. 23 is the same top plan view shown in FIG. 22 with the master keyinserted but not fully aligned.

FIG. 24 is the same top plan view shown in FIG. 23 with the alignmentmechanism advanced to its most advanced or “high-force” position tofully align the master key.

FIG. 25 is an enlarged perspective view of the right-hand end of themaster-key alignment mechanism shown in FIG. 24.

FIG. 26 is a further enlarged side elevation of a master key and one ofthe pins in the alignment mechanism shown in FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is an enlarged, exploded perspective of the master keyshoulder-sensing arrangement in the master-key alignment system shown inFIGS. 21-26.

FIG. 28 is an enlarged perspective view of the master key clampingassembly, with a master key fully inserted into the open clampingassembly.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the master key-alignment mechanism inits retracted position and with the profile-matching gauges engaging afully inserted master key.

FIG. 30 is a further enlarged side elevation of the profile-matchinggauges shown in FIG. 29 with the profile-matching gauges disengaged fromthe master key.

FIG. 31 is a front perspective view of the key-blank magazine and thekey-entry door mechanisms in the kiosk of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 32 is an enlarged front perspective view of the top of thekey-blank magazine.

FIG. 33 is a perspective view of a stack of key blanks and a tool forloading the stack of key blanks into the key blank magazine.

FIG. 34 is the same perspective view shown in FIG. 33, with the stack ofkey blanks engaged by the tool.

FIG. 35 is a sectional view of a stack of key blanks contained in anopened box, with the tool shown in FIGS. 33 and 34 positioned adjacentthe open end of the box.

FIG. 36 is the same sectional view shown in FIG. 35, with the toolengaging the stack of key blanks in the box.

FIG. 37 is the same sectional view shown in FIGS. 35 and 36, with thestack of key blanks removed from the box by the tool.

FIG. 38 is the same sectional view of the tool and the stack of keyblanks shown in FIG. 37, but positioned adjacent the upper end of thekey blank magazine.

FIG. 39 is an enlarged front perspective view of the bottom portion ofthe key-blank magazine, along with the key-blank clamping assembly andcarrier, in the kiosk of FIGS. 1 and 2, with a single key blank beingextracted from the magazine.

FIG. 40 is the same perspective view shown in FIG. 39 but with twostacks of key blanks in the magazine and showing the duplicate keydischarge chute.

FIG. 41 is a front perspective view of the key-blank magazine and itstransport mechanism, the key-blank clamping mechanism and carrier, themaster-key clamping assembly and the cutting wheel and associated vacuumhousing.

FIG. 42 is a top rear perspective view of the same mechanisms shown inFIG. 41.

FIG. 43 is an enlarged perspective view of the mechanism for extractinga key blank from the key-blank magazine, with an extracted key blankabout to engage the alignment and clamping mechanisms.

FIG. 44 is the same perspective view shown in FIG. 43 with the key-blankextraction mechanism engaging the extracted key blank and advancing thatblank into the alignment and clamping mechanisms.

FIG. 45 is an enlarged perspective view of the key-blank clampingassembly with the extracted key blank fully inserted and the clampingmechanism still open.

FIG. 46 is the same perspective view shown in FIG. 45 with the clampingmechanism closed to clamp the extracted key blank.

FIG. 47 is an enlarged perspective view of the key-blank clampingassembly clamping an extracted key blank, the base on which the clampingassembly is mounted, the carrier on which the base is mounted, and thecam mechanism for pivoting the base.

FIGS. 48 through 55 are perspective views of the key-duplicatingmechanisms in successive stages of a duplicating operation, with areduced end elevation showing the angular position of the key-blankclamping assembly and its base in each stage.

FIG. 56 is an enlarged top front perspective of a master key and a keyblank in their respective clamping assemblies during a key-duplicatingoperation.

FIG. 57 is an enlarged perspective view from the front of the left-handside of the key-blank clamping assembly, base, carrier and transportmechanism.

FIG. 58 is a diagrammatic plan view of a master key clamped forengagement by a follower and a key blank clamped to be cut to reproducethe tooth profile of the master key.

FIG. 59 is the same diagrammatic plan view as FIG. 58 with the followermoved about halfway along the teeth of the master key, and with theteeth already passed by the follower cut in the key blank.

FIG. 60 is a perspective view of a vacuum system associated with thecutting and de-burring wheels in the key duplicating system.

FIG. 61 is a functional block diagram of a kiosk network that includes aplurality of the kiosks of FIGS. 1 and 2 and an associated communicationsystem connecting all the kiosks via the Internet with a central office,a payment processor and an email server.

FIG. 62 is an first example of a Remote Management Tool display.

FIG. 63 is a second example of a Remote Management Tool display.

FIG. 64 is an example of an image produced by the video camera insidethe kiosk.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Although the invention will be described in connection with certainpreferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is notlimited to those particular embodiments. On the contrary, the inventionis intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalentarrangements as may be included within the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined by the appended claims.

Key duplication requires analysis of the master key to determine themodel and tooth pattern of the master key, and then reproducing thattooth pattern on a key blank of the same model as the master key. It isgenerally necessary to have the master key stationary and to firmly holdthe key blank while reproducing the tooth pattern.

The exemplary key-duplicating kiosk shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a housing10 that includes a touch-screen display 11, a payment device 12 such asa credit or debit card reader, a viewing window 13, a key-receivingentry 14 that includes a door 100 that opens to reveal a key insertionslot 104, a duplicate key discharge tray 15 and a keychain dischargetray 16. This kiosk enables a consumer to insert a master key into theslot 104 and have the master key automatically duplicated while the headof the key is always projecting from the kiosk, just as when a key isused in a door. At the base of the viewing window 13. three indicatorslights 18 a-18 c are illuminated to inform the customer when to “InsertKey” (light 18 a), “Key Accepted” (light 18 b) or “Remove Key” (light 18c). The kiosk also includes a pair of speakers 19 a and 19 b andilluminated signs 20 a and 20 b to help attract customers to the kiosk.The interior of the kiosk is illuminated to facilitate viewing of thekey duplicating operations through the viewing window 13.

The depth and width of the kiosk housing 10 are 25″ and 34″,respectively, so that the kiosk footprint is less than about 6 squarefeet, to minimize the floor space occupied by the kiosk in a retailstore. This kiosk has the capacity of storing more than 3000 key blanksof different types and styles. For security and safety reasons, thekiosk is entirely self-contained except for an electrical powerconnection. Electronic communications with the processor inside thekiosk are preferably wireless. A locked door in the front of the housing10 permits access by only authorized personnel for replenishing thesupply of key blanks inside the kiosk, or for repair or maintenancepurposes. Different access privileges may be provided for merchandisers(replenishment), maintenance, and removal of cash.

The touch-screen display 11 contains soft touch keys denoted by graphicson the underlying display and used to operate the kiosk 10. The touchscreen preferably extends over the entire display 11 to allow customersto make displayed selections by touching the touch screen at appropriatetouch keys. The display itself may take the form of a high resolutionLCD, a plasma display, an LED or OLED display, a non-touch screen withselection buttons along the side, or any other type of display suitablefor use in the kiosk 10.

The payment device 12 may include a bill acceptor for receiving papercurrency, a coin acceptor, a change dispenser, a card reader, and/or areader or sensor for other tangible portable credit storage devices thatmay also authorize access to and debit a central account, such as acellular payment system which operates via text messages from customers'cell phones.

Turning now to FIG. 3, the various components of the kiosk 10 arecontrolled by a general-purpose processor 24 (also referred to as a PC,central processing unit (CPU) or processor such as a microcontroller ormicroprocessor) contained within an electrical enclosure 10 a inside thekiosk housing 10. It will be appreciated that the processor 24 mayinclude one or more microprocessors, including but not limited to amaster processor, a slave processor, and a secondary or parallelprocessor. The processor 24 communicates directly with a customcontroller board 25 within the kiosk, as well as the payment device 12and the touch screen display 11, and executes one or more programsstored in a computer readable storage medium or memory 24 a to controlthe display 11, various mechanisms within the kiosk, and acommunications interface 24 b for communicating with remote servers andother devices. The system memory 24 a may comprise a volatile memory(e.g., a random-access memory (RAM)) and a non-volatile memory (e.g., anEEPROM), and may include multiple RAM and multiple program memories. Thepayment device 12 signals the processor 24 when money and/or creditshave been input via the payment device.

The processor 24 may include any combination of hardware, software,and/or firmware that may control the transfer of data between the kioskand a bus, another computer, processor, or device and/or a serviceand/or a network. The communications interface 24 b preferably couplesthe kiosk wirelessly to an external network, which is described in moredetail below. The controller 25 receives signals from various sensors 29within the kiosk, as described in more detail below, and generatescontrol signals for solenoids 26, relays 27 and motors 28 within thekiosk, as also described below.

The key-receiving entry 14 is located in a central recess 17 a of aguard 17 that protrudes from the front of the kiosk to protect the headof a key inserted in the kiosk from being bumped. The key entry area isthe same height as a door lock, making the key insertion process easyand intuitive for a customer. When the customer inserts a key into theslot 104, only the blade portion of the key extends inside the kiosk,because the slot 104 is dimensioned to block the head portion of the keyfrom entering the kiosk. This prevents the loss of a customer's keyinside the kiosk, and also makes the customer comfortable because thehead of the key is always visible to the customer while it is beinganalyzed and duplicated. Additionally, blocking the entry of the keyhead prevents the customer from inconveniently being forced to take thekey off a keychain or remove identifiers from the key head to insert thekey for analysis and duplication. As shown in FIG. 4, the base of therecess 17 a includes graphics to help ensure that the customer insertsthe key in the proper orientation for the receiving sensors andmechanism inside the kiosk, e.g., with the teeth on the key blade facingto the left. These graphics can be illuminated continuously orintermittently to attract the customer's attention, and may also bereinforced by audio instructions to the customer via the speakers 19 a,19 b and video or graphic instructions via the display 11.

The mechanisms inside the kiosk cabinet 10 include the followingmechanisms:

-   -   a key blank magazine for storing key blanks of different types        (e.g., Schlage, Kwikset, Weiser, etc.) and different styles        (plain brass, colored flag pattern, colored flower pattern,        etc.),    -   a vandal-proof door opening, closing and latching mechanism for        the key-entry door,    -   devices for aligning an inserted master key clamping mechanism        that holds the master key in a fixed, predetermined position        while that key is being analyzed and duplicated,    -   a key identification system that identifies the type of key        blank needed to duplicate the master key on,    -   a follower base for holding the key blank,    -   a key blank extractor mechanism for loading and aligning the        desired type and style of key blank from the key blank magazine        into the blank clamp base,    -   a key cutting mechanism for cutting the blade of the selected        key blank to reproduce the tooth pattern of the master key,    -   a de-burring mechanism for removing debris from the freshly cut        duplicate key, and    -   a vacuum system for managing the debris from the cutting and        de-burring operations.

The processor 24 and the custom controller board 25 are programmed tocarry out the following functions:

-   -   the processor controls audio outputs and the screens displayed        to customers in response to actions taken by the customer and in        response to signals produced by various sensors within the        kiosk,    -   the controller board controls the mechanisms within the kiosk in        response to actions taken by the customer and in response to        signals produced by various sensors within the kiosk,    -   the processor collects and accumulates data regarding use of the        kiosk, such as the number of duplicate keys made, the number of        different types of key blanks remaining in the key-blank        magazine in the kiosk, revenue generated by the kiosk by time        and date, cumulative use time of parts that wear, etc., and        errors that occur, and    -   the processor communicates via the cell modem or other network        connection method with one or more remote computers/servers to        transmit reports, maintenance alarms, etc. to the remote        computers/servers.

When the kiosk is not in use by a customer, the display 11 displays apromotion, such as “Buy 2, Get 1 Free”, and a message that invites acustomer to “Touch Here to Begin.” The screen may also includeadvertising for a third party, which can be remotely managed andautomatically adapted to the kiosk venue, time of day, individualcustomers and other factors. When a customer stands in front of thekiosk, a proximity detector (not shown) located on the front panel ofthe kiosk triggers the initiation of a voiceover or video demonstrationon how to use the machine. When the customer touches the touch screen11, the display changes to a welcome screen, shown in FIG. 5, that givesthe customer an option to “Start Your Order Now” or select a “Help” or“Español” button. Selecting the “Help” button at any time displays anFAQ screen from which the customer can select a topic to obtain moreinformation. Selecting the “Español” button displays the instructions inSpanish. The display may also give the customer multiple languageoptions to choose from. Selection of the “Start Your Order Now” optionchanges the display to ask the customer to “Select a Key Design,” asshown in FIG. 6. If the customer has difficulty reaching the options onthe touch screen 11, touching a blue handicap icon at the bottom rightcorner of the screen changes the display to a screen that adds anumerical panel at the bottom of the screen and numbers the designchoices, which facilitates selecting a key design from a wheelchair, forexample. The heights of the blue handicap icon and the top of thenumerical panel are preferably no more than 54 inches above the floor infront of the kiosk, to meet the requirements of ADA regulations in theU.S.

The screen in FIG. 6 also includes a “Key Chain Only” option which, whentouched, changes the display to a screen where the customer can select aparticular style of keychain. Upon selection of a key style on thetouch-screen display of FIG. 6, the display changes to the screen shownin FIG. 7, which asks the customer to select the number of keys to bepurchased. This display also offers an option to “Start Over” to makeany necessary changes. Promotions on keys, such as “Buy 2, Get 1 Free”or “Add Another Key at a Special Price” can also be made available tothe customer on this screen, and the customer can select “Yes” or “No”to accept or reject the promotion, enter a code provided for apromotion, or swipe a retail membership or value card.

When the desired quantity of duplicated keys has been selected, thedisplay changes to the “Review Order and Pay” screen shown in FIG. 8,which gives the customer the option of selecting “Back” to make changesto the order, to go to “Help,” to view the “Terms and Conditions” of thepurchase, or to “Cancel Order.” This screen also directs the customer toswipe a credit card through the card reader slot and illustrates how toinsert the card and the types of credit cards that can be used. When acredit card is swiped through the card reader 12, the data from thecredit card is automatically sent to the cell modem or other networkconnection for transmission to a remote server of a credit card providerfor authorization of the given credit card, along with the amount of thecustomer's order plus a preselected additional amount to cover anyadditional options to be offered the customer, as discussed below, or aflat predetermined amount for any transaction by any customer. Theremote credit card provider promptly returns a “yes” or “no” for thedollar amount of the customer's order to be charged to the swiped creditcard.

If the response from the credit provider is a “no” (the selected creditcard is not authorized for payment), the display may change to informthe customer that credit has been denied, inviting the customer toinsert a different credit card. If no action is taken by the customerwithin a preselected time interval, the display asks “do you need moretime,” and if no action is taken, then the display is returned to the“Touch to Start” screen.

If the response from the credit provider is a “yes” (the card isauthorized for payment), or if the card is accepted because of a lack ofconnectivity with the credit provider, the system is ready to accept akey from the customer, and the door 100 is opened to permit insertion ofthe customer's key into a slot 104. This authorizes the charge, but thepayment will only be completed at the end of the key duplicationprocess. At the same time the door 100 is opened, the display is changedto request the customer to insert the key to be duplicated, withinstructions specifying which direction the key should be facing, asshown in the screen shot in FIG. 9. This screen also has an “I can'tinsert my key” option, which, when touched, displays a screen thatinforms the customer that “Your key cannot be duplicated” FIG. 10 is ascreen shot of a display that is generated if a problem is encounteredduring automatic alignment of the customer's key after it is inserted,as described in detail below. FIG. 11 is a screen shot of a displaygenerated while the customer's key is being duplicated.

At the end of the key duplication process the display is changed to showthe customer an on-screen copy of his or her transaction receipt, asshown in FIG. 12. The interface has “Email Receipt” and “Start Over”buttons. The “Start Over” button ends the customer order session andrestarts a new order. The “Email Receipt” button links the customer to ascreen with a QWERTY style virtual keyboard, as shown in FIG. 13, thatallows the customer to enter an email address in a field within apreselected time-out interval. Once a customer completes entering anemail address into this field and touches the “Continue” button, thedisplay changes to a screen that informs the customer that a receipt hasbeen sent to the email address that was entered. When the transaction iscomplete, the display gives the customer an option to send a text oremail message with a coupon code inviting another person to use themachine. The display also allows the customer to send a message from themachine to a group of people on a social network. Furthermore, thedisplay gives high volume customers the option of enrolling in afrequent buyer program which sends the customers special promotions ordiscounts for future purchases.

FIGS. 14-16 illustrate an automated key-entry door mechanism thatincludes a latch to hold the door 100 in its closed position until thecustomer is instructed to insert a key to be duplicated. The door 100 isformed by a horizontally elongated plate that slides between outer andinner stationary plates 101 and 102 having registered key-entryapertures 103 and 104. The aperture 104 in the inner stationary plate104 is in the form of a horizontal key-entry slot, so that it permitsthe key blade to enter the kiosk but blocks entry of the head of thekey. The movable plate 100 also has a key-entry aperture 105 that isslightly smaller than the aperture 102 in the outer stationary plate101, but only when the movable plate 100 is in its open position,illustrated in FIG. 16. When the movable plate 100 is in its closedposition, as illustrated in FIG. 14, a solid portion of the plate 100covers the apertures in the two stationary plates 101 and 102.

To latch the movable plate 100 in its closed position, so that theclosure of the key-receiving entry is tamper-proof, a first latchelement 110 is pivotably coupled to one end of the plate 100. This firstlatch element 110 includes a hooked portion 110 a that meshes with asecond latch element 112 having a hooked portion 112 a and pivotablycoupled to a stationary pin 113. The first latch element 110 is urgedtoward the second latch element 112 by a coil spring 114 that has oneend attached to the first latch element 110, and a second end attachedto a stationary pin 114 a. Thus, the first latch element 110 iscontinuously urged toward its position of latching engagement with thesecond latch element 112. To open the latch, a motor driven cam 115 isrotated to lift the second latch element 112 away from the first latchelement 110, and then pivots the first latch element in a clockwisedirection (as viewed in FIG. 15) to pull the plate 100 to the right tobring the aperture 105 into register with the apertures 103 and 104 inthe stationary plates. This opens the key entry door so that a customercan insert a key into the key entry slot 104. Continued rotation of thecam allows the first latch element 110 to pivot in a counterclockwisedirection, returning to its original closed position under the urging ofthe spring 114.

When it is desired to have the customer remove the key from the keyentry slot, the drive motor for the cam 115 is energized to return thecam to its original position, thereby allowing the spring 114 to returnthe first latch element to its latched position, which in turn slidesthe plate 100 to its closed position. Returning the cam 115 to itsoriginal position also allows the second latch element 112 to return toengagement with the first latch element 110, thereby securing themovable plate 100 in its closed position. The latch provides protectionagainst tampering or vandalism.

FIGS. 17 through 26 illustrate an alignment mechanism 30 inside thekiosk for properly positioning a key inserted by a customer, to permitthat key to be accurately evaluated and duplicated. The alignmentmechanism 30 is shown in FIGS. 17-26. The mechanism 30 is shown in itsfully retracted position in FIG. 17; in its intermediate, low-forceposition in FIGS. 22 and 23; and in its fully advanced, high-forceposition in FIGS. 20 and 24. The alignment mechanism includes a lowerblock 31 that is mounted for sliding movement along a rail 32. A pair oflow-force springs 33 and 34 maintain a space between the lower block 31and an upper block 35, which in turn is attached to a drive screw 36that is threaded through the upper block 35 so that rotation of thedrive screw 36 by a drive motor 37 moves the upper block 35 along anaxis parallel to the rail 32. The right-hand end of the lower block 31,as viewed in FIG. 21, forms a horizontal slot 31 a that receives thetoothed edge of a master key inserted into the kiosk by a customer.Three horizontal pins P1-P3 extend into the slot 31 a and are urgedtoward the key K by light springs 51-53 similar to the tumbler springsin a lock. The upper block 35 also carries a high-force block 40 that ismounted for sliding movement on the uppermost surface of the upper block35, with a pair of high-force springs 43 and 44 (supported on rods 42 aand 42 b) urging the high-force block 40 to the right as viewed in FIGS.17, 20 and 21.

From the time the kiosk first requests the customer to insert the key tobe duplicated, the customer has approximately 60 seconds to insert a keyinto the slot 17. During this time, the alignment mechanism 30 is in the“low-force” position, waiting for a key insertion. When the customerbegins to insert a key into the slot 21, an optical sensor 22 (FIG. 18)adjacent the key-insertion slot 21 immediately detects the entry of theleading end of the key and produces a “Key Present” signal that causesthe kiosk controller to start a 7-second time interval, so that actioncan be taken if full insertion of the key has not been completed within7 seconds. That is, the customer is allowed 7 seconds to finishinserting the key into the slot.

While the master key K is being inserted into the kiosk, a pair ofsensors produce signals that are used by the controller to determinewhether the master key is possibly a type that can be duplicated by thekiosk. Specifically, as the master key K is inserted into the kiosk, thetip of the key engages and advances a slide 71 (FIG. 19) against thebiasing force of a spring 72 that urges the slide against the end of thekey K, as shown in FIG. 19. The slide 71 carries two tabs 71 a and 71 bprojecting laterally from the slide 71 to pass through a pair ofcorresponding optical sensors 73 a and 73 b. The narrower tab 71 a tripsthe sensor 73 a to indicate whether the key length is within aprescribed range of acceptable key lengths, and the wider tab 71 b tripsthe sensor 73 b if the key length is too long to be duplicated by thekiosk.

Before the key K engages the slide 71, the two tabs 71 a and 71 b areoutside their respective optical sensors 73 a and 73 b. After the key Kengages the slide 71 and begins to advance it, to the right as viewed inFIG. 19, the narrow tab 71 a enters the sensor 73 a and interrupts thelight beam of that sensor until the slide 43 has been advanced through adistance equal to the width of the tab 71 a. Thus, the time intervalduring which the light beam is interrupted corresponds to a preselectedrange of movement of the slide 71, which in turn corresponds to a rangeof key lengths. If the master key K inserted by the customer fallswithin this range, the controller produces a “Correct Range” signal. Ifthe master key K does not fall within this range, it is not a key typethat can be duplicated by the kiosk.

The wide tab 71 b enters its sensor 73 b slightly before the narrow tab71 a exits from the light beam in the sensor 73 a, so if the light beamin the sensor 73 b is interrupted at the time the narrow tab exits fromits light beam, the two sensor outputs indicate that the master key K istoo long rather than too short. In this event, the controllerimmediately generates a signal that causes the display of a messageinforming the customer that “We Cannot Copy Your Key,” without waitingfor the time-out of the 7-second interval. As long as neither of the twolight beams has been interrupted, insertion of the key might not yet becompleted, so no message is generated until the 7-second interval hasexpired. If at that time neither light beam has been interrupted, thecontroller generates the “We Cannot Copy Your Key” message.

Full insertion of the key is detected by a sensor 23 (see FIG. 27) thatsends a signal to the kiosk controller when the top shoulder of the keyK reaches a predetermined advanced position. Specifically, in theillustrated embodiment, the left-hand (“top”) shoulder of the key (asviewed from the front of the kiosk) engages a first sensor arm 23 a tomove a stub shaft 23 b to a different angular position with respect to ashaft 23 e. This in turn moves a tab on the end of a second sensor arm23 c into an optical sensor 23 d. This causes the optical sensor 23 d tosend a “Key Fully Inserted” signal to the controller to indicate thatthe master key has been fully inserted into the kiosk. The two sensorarms 23 a and 23 c both pivot around the shaft 23 e, with the tab on thearm 23 c being located farther from the shaft 23 e than the stub shaft23 b, so that a small angular movement of the arm 23 a results in a muchlarger angular movement of the arm 23 c and its tab.

If the controller does receive a “Key Fully Inserted” signal, a “CorrectRange” signal and a “Key Present” signal within the 7-second timeinterval, the controller changes the display to “We cannot copy yourkey,” and the order is canceled. If the controller receives a “Key FullyInserted” signal, a “Correct Range” signal and a “Key Present” signalwithin the 7-second time interval, the controller causes thekey-alignment mechanism 30 to be moved to its fully advanced,“high-force” position to precisely position the fully inserted keybefore it is clamped in place for the duplicating process. If thecontroller determines that the key cannot be duplicated by the kioskbecause the inserted key is too long, it immediately informs thecustomer that “We cannot copy your key.” If the controller determinesthat the inserted key cannot be duplicated by the kiosk because theinserted key is too short, the kiosk controller waits until the 7-secondinterval has expired, and if nothing changes before that intervalexpires, the display is changed to inform the customer that “We cannotcopy your key,” and directing the customer to remove the key from thekiosk.

If the kiosk controller determines that the master key K may possibly beduplicated, the drive screw motor 37 of the alignment mechanism 30 isenergized to turn the drive screw 36 to advance the upper block 35 tothe position shown in FIGS. 20 and 24. In this position, the high-forcesprings 43 and 44 are compressed between the upper block 35 and thehigh-force block 40, thereby moving the high-force block 40 and a pinrocker arm 41 to the right. The rocker arm 41 slides on the top surfaceof the lower block 31 and is coupled to the two end pins P1 and P3 by apair of vertical pins 41 a and 41 b. Thus, the force of the springs 43and 44 is transmitted to the key K via the block 40, the rocker arm 41,and the vertical pins 41 a and 41 b that extend through respective slots31 a and 31 b in the block 31 to permit sliding movement of the pins 41a and 41 b relative to the block 31. The middle pin P2 is also biasedagainst the key K by its spring S2, but is not subjected to the force ofthe springs 43 and 44. The purpose of the rocker arm 41 is to permit thetwo end pins P1 and P3 to move relative to each other so that they canengage notches of different depths in the toothed edge of the master keyK. Thus, the force of the springs 43 and 44 is applied to the toothededge of the key K at two spaced locations, via pins P1 and P3, therebyensuring that the opposite (straight) edge of the master key is pressedfirmly against a vertical alignment wall 49 on the lower clamp 50. Thiscompletes the precise alignment of the master key K, so that it can beclamped to prevent any movement of the master key while it is analyzedand duplicated.

The two end pins P1 and P3 are beveled on both sides to form a straightvertical edge that engages the master key K and urges the key againstthe alignment wall 49. Because the vertical edges on the ends of thepins P1 and P3 engage the key K along the entire height of the edgesurface of the key, there is no risk of tilting the key as it is pushedagainst the alignment wall 49, as depicted in FIGS. 25 and 26.

An upper clamp 51 is then lowered into engagement with the upper surfaceof the master key K to clamp the key tightly against the lower clamp 50.The master key remains in this firmly clamped condition while (1) theposition of the clamped key is checked to determine whether the keyshifted during clamping, (2) the alignment mechanism is moved to itsfully retracted position if the key remained in position, (3) thecross-sectional profile of the master key is identified, (4) a blank keyhaving the design selected by the customer and also having the samecross sectional profile (same key type) as the master key is extractedfrom the blank-key magazines, (5) the extracted blank key is cut to havethe same tooth pattern as the master key, (6) the new key is de-burred,(7) the new key is dropped into the duplicate key discharge tray 15 fordelivery to the customer and (8) any key chains or other options aredispensed if they were ordered.

The master key clamp is shown in FIGS. 17-18 and 28, which depict amaster key K being inserted, and then clamped, between the lower clamp50 and the upper clamp 51. The upper clamp 51 is attached to a verticalshaft 53 that carries a coil spring 54 that applies a constant strongdownward force to the shaft 53, which pulls the upper clamp 51downwardly toward the lower clamp 50. To open the clamp, against thedownward biasing force of the spring 54, a motor 55 turns a gear 56,which turns a meshing gear 57 that carries a cam 58. The cam surface 58engages a cam follower 59 on the lower end of a shaft 53 so that the camfollower 59 is pulled down against the cam surface 58 by the force ofthe spring 54. When the cam follower 59 is registered with the valley 58b of the cam surface 58, the force of the spring 54 pulls the upperclamp 51 down tightly against the key K, thereby clamping the keytightly against the lower clamp 50. By controlling the motor 55 torotate the gear 52 by a certain number of degrees, the cam follower 59is aligned with a peak 58 a of the cam surface 58, which raises theshaft 53 and the upper clamp 51 to open the clamping assembly andthereby release the key K.

To control the angular position of the cam follower 59, a pair ofoptical sensors 160 and 161 supply signals to the controller when a tab162 on a collar 163 connected to the output shaft of the motor 55 passesthrough the sensors. While the tab 162 is moving from sensor 160 tosensor 161, the cam follower 59 is riding over the peak 58 a on the cmsurface 58, which is the interval during which the key clamp is open.Thus, the motor 55 can be precisely controlled to open and close theclamp.

The “Key Present” signal mentioned above is produced by an opticalsensor 22 built into the master-key clamping assembly. Specifically, alight source 22 a is built into the lower clamp 50 and a photodetector22 b is built into the upper clamp 51, with the light beam 21 passingthrough the master-key slot between the two clamps. Thus, when a masterkey is inserted between the two clamps 50 and 51, the light beam isinterrupted, and the sensor supplies a corresponding output signal tothe controller.

To check the position of the key after it has been clamped, the kioskcontroller checks the signals from the “Key-Fully Inserted” sensor 23,the two length sensors 45 a and 45 b and the “Key Present” sensor 22. Ifthe kiosk controller determines that the position of the key did notchange during clamping, the controller causes the alignment mechanism 30to fully retract by energizing the drive screw motor 37 to turn thedrive screw 36 in the reverse direction. If the kiosk controllerdetermines that the key position did change during clamping, thecontroller causes the alignment mechanism 30 to return from thehigh-force position to the low-force position, causes the master-keyclamping assembly to be released, and changes the kiosk display to ascreen that directs the customer to “Insert and Hold Your Key.” Thisre-starts the entire process described above, starting with insertion ofa key by the customer. If the customer re-inserts the key and theposition of the key again changes during clamping, the kiosk changes thedisplay to the screen to inform the customer that “We cannot copy yourkey,” and directing the customer to remove the key from the kiosk.

As described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0145163, the blade ofthe master key can have one of several different cross-sectionalprofiles, and identifying the profile of the master key effectivelydetermines what type of key it is. Because only a limited number ofdifferent types of key blanks can be stored in the kiosk, thecross-sectional profile of the profile master key is matched againstonly preselected profiles, which are the profiles for which blanks areavailable in the kiosk. For example, a first profile may correspond to aSchlage key, a second profile may correspond to a Kwikset key, and athird profile may correspond to a Weiser key. Other key types may beidentified with other corresponding profiles.

In the illustrative embodiment, the profile matching begins by engagingeach side of the blade of the master key K with a plurality of gaugesthat correspond to the cross-sectional profile of one side of a specifictype of key. Each gauge may have a profile that matches all or a portionof one of the grooves in a particular key type, or may simply sense thedepth of the groove at a particular location that is common to severaldifferent key types, so that the combination of the depths at severaldifferent locations can be used to identify the key type. Referring toFIGS. 29 and 30, first and second gauges 60 and 61 extend through slotsin the upper clamp 51 and are biased by springs 60 a and 61 a toward theupper surface of the master key K, and third and fourth gauges 62 and 63extend through slots in the lower clamp 50 and are biased by springs 62a and 63 a toward the lower surface of the master key K. A cam 64 has afirst position (see FIG. 30) in which it holds the four gauges 60-63 inretracted positions while the master key is inserted and aligned, and asecond position (see FIG. 29) in which the four gauges 60-63 arereleased to allow their biasing springs to move the gauges into advancedpositions where they engage opposite sides of the master key K. The cam64 is rotated between its first and second positions by a drive motor65.

The four gauges 60-63 are all mounted for pivoting movement around acommon shaft 66, for movement between their retracted and advancedpositions. The left-hand ends of the four gauges 60-63, as viewed inFIGS. 29 and 30, are profiled to gauge the shape of the engaged surfacesof the blade of the master key K, and the right-hand ends of the gauges60-63 move through four separate optical sensors 67-70 to detect theangular position of each gauge when it is engaging the master key. Eachof the sensors 67-70 produces an output signal when the advancedposition of its gauge corresponds to the cross-sectional profile of oneof the preselected key types, which allows the matching gauge to pivotinto the grooves that form the cross-sectional profile of the blade ofthe master key. This additional pivoting movement of a matching gaugecauses the right-hand end of that gauge to move into register with itssensor, causing that sensor to produce a signal that is used by thekiosk controller to identify the type of master key in the clamp. Thus,each of the different preselected key types is identified by a differentcombination of output signals from the four sensors 67-70. Therelatively small additional pivoting movement of the left-hand end of agauge when it matches the profile of the key blade is amplified at theright-hand end of that gauge because of the longer lever aims of thegauges on the right side of the shaft 66.

If the combination of output signals from the four sensors 67-70 doesnot correspond to one of the preselected key types, the kiosk controllerchanges the display to the screen that informs the customer that the keyinserted by the customer cannot be duplicated by the kiosk and that thecustomer should remove the key, and the master key clamp is released topermit removal of the key. If the combination of output signals doescorrespond to one of the preselected key types, the kiosk controlleraligns that particular type of key blank in the key-blank magazine 80with the key-blank extraction mechanism. If the magazine contains thattype of key-blank in different styles, the particular style selected bythe customer is aligned with the extraction mechanism.

As can be seen in FIGS. 31 and 41-42, the key-blank magazine 80 ismounted for lateral movement on a frame 81 at the rear of the interiorof the kiosk. The magazine 80 slides on a stationary horizontal rail 82attached to the frame 81, and a drive screw 83 threaded through abracket 84 projecting from the back of the magazine 80 is rotated by areversible drive motor 85 (FIG. 42) to move the magazine 80 in eitherdirection along the rail 82. After identification of the particular typeof key blank needed to reproduce the master key, and the style selectedby the customer, the kiosk controller energizes the motor 85 to move themagazine 80 to align that particular type and style of key blank with akey-blank extractor 86 (see FIGS. 43-46). The key blank B extracted fromthe magazine 80 is always the bottom key in the particular magazinecompartment that contains a stack of key blanks of the type and styleselected, and each magazine compartment has an aperture 87 in the backwall of the magazine to permit the extractor 86 to enter the magazine 80and engage the lowermost key in the particular compartment that has beenmoved into alignment with the extractor.

The magazine 80 is also moved to pass each of the multiple verticalchannels past an optical sensor 93 to detect when the supply of blanksin any channel drops below the level of the sensor, e.g., a height of 40key blanks above the bottom of the magazine. As long as any givenchannel contains at least 40 keys, a light beam directed to the sensor93 from a source behind the magazine 80 is interrupted by the stack ofblanks in that channel. But when the supply of keys in a given channeldrops below 40, the light beam is no longer interrupted, and thus thesensor 93 changes state to indicate that the supply of blanks in thatchannel is low and should be replenished.

In the illustrative embodiment, the extractor 86 is in the form of aflat bar that has a flat front end 86 a that abuts a corresponding flat86 b on the top of each key blank. As a key blank B is pushed forwardlyout of the magazine by the extractor 86, a taper 86 c (see FIGS. 45 and46) on the top surface of the extractor engages and slightly lifts thekey blank directly above the blank being extracted to maintain a slightspace between those two blanks, to avoid any drag on the blank beingextracted from the weight of the stack of other blanks in that samecompartment. This helps keep the extracted blank B moving along astraight line.

Referring to FIGS. 45 and 46, the key blanks preferably have specialfeatures that enable the controlled, accurate and precise movement ofkeys from manufacturing to cutting. As already mentioned, the head ofthe key blank B has a flat end surface 86 b for engaging the flat frontand surface 86 a of the extractor 86. In addition, the head of the keyblank B has long straight parallel sides 81 and 82, and a preselectedwidth that does not exceed the width of the magazine channel. All thesefeatures are used to help guide the key blank B along a straight path asthe blank is moved out of the magazine and into the clamping mechanismfor the extracted blank.

To avoid errors when loading the key blanks into the magazine 80, suchas inserting a particular type of blank or style of blank into the wrongcompartment, and/or inserting a blank upside down in the correctcompartment, the blanks have specific features that physically block anygiven blank from entering the wrong compartment and also block a keyfrom entering the correct compartment but up-side-down. For example, ascan be seen in FIGS. 31 and 32, key blanks are loaded into the magazinefrom the top of each compartment, and the access opening 87 at the topof each compartment is profiled to permit only blanks that match theprofiled opening to be loaded into that compartment. The features usedto distinguish the different types of blanks from each other for theloading profiles are primarily the shapes and dimensions of the headportions of the blanks.

To assist in the loading of different styles of blanks of the same type,a cavity 87 a is provided at the top of the rear surface of eachcompartment to receive a sample 87 b of the blank to be loaded into eachcompartment, as shown in FIGS. 31 and 32. Thus, the person loading theblanks can simply look at the samples to determine which compartment isto be loaded with blanks of any given style for any given type of blank.

To expedite the loading of the key blanks, the manual loading tool shownin FIGS. 33-38 can be used to quickly remove the entire contents of abox of blanks and load them into the magazine 80 as a single unit, in aone-step operation. This tool has a compartment 300 that is open at oneend for receiving the blade portions of a batch of a predeterminednumber of blanks, e.g., 40 blanks, packaged in a box 301. The blanks arepreferably packaged so that the entire stack of blanks in any given boxhas a dimension that matches the width of the tool compartment 300. Thatis, a box of thinner blanks will contain more blanks than a box ofthicker blanks, so that the overall dimension of the stacked thicknesseswill be substantially the same for all boxes even though they containdifferent types of blanks. This permits the use of a single universaltool.

The box 301 has spacers at opposite ends of the packaged batch of blanksto provide spaces for receiving a pair of tabs 304 and 305 projectingfrom opposite ends of the compartment 300. All the keys in a given boxhave the same orientation and length. A spring-loaded gripper 306 ismanually opened slightly while the tabs 304, 305 are inserted into thebox of blanks, and then released so that the spring 307 closes thegripper 306 against the entire batch of key blanks. A small bump 308 isformed on the top edge of the blade of each key blank when it ismanufactured, and these bumps are engaged by a lip 309 on the free endof the gripper 306 to enable the entire batch of blanks to be capturedand held together within the tool as they are removed from the box,transferred to the magazine, and loaded into the magazine. If a blank isoriented in the wrong direction, it will not be gripped and likely willdrop out of the gripped stack, thereby avoiding the loading of thatblank into the magazine. The bump 308 on each blank is ultimatelyremoved as a part of the cutting operation that forms the desired toothprofile in the blank within the kiosk, as described in detail below.

FIGS. 35-38 show a key blank 400 custom made for use in the illustrativekiosk. For home and office keys, the shoulder 401 typically is thereference location for the X-direction (longitudinal direction). Theshoulder 401 is typically referred to as the “top” shoulder in the keyindustry because it is on the toothed side of the key, which is normallythe top edge of the key when it is inserted in a lock. This is thereference “stop” when a key is used in a lock and thus should also beused during duplication.

There are many key blank and key machine manufacturers, and they can anddo manufacture their keys with different lengths and bottom shoulderlocations. As such, conventional home and office key duplication theorydiscourages the referencing of key blanks using the bottom shoulderand/or the tip of the key, as it may result in keys that do notfunction. However, in the illustrative kiosk, the bottom shoulder andthe tip of the extracted key blank are used as reference locationsbecause the dimensions of the key blanks are controlled during thecustom manufacture of those blanks. Specifically, the distance betweenthe top shoulder and the tip, and the distance between the top shoulderand the bottom shoulder, are both controlled so that these dimensionsmay be used to control the position of a blank as it is automaticallymanipulated within the kiosk to ensure that the top shoulder of theblank is aligned in the correct location before that blank is cut.

Referring to FIGS. 39-46, as a blank B is pushed out of the magazine 80,the blade of the extracted blank enters a clamp assembly 90 that issimilar in operation to the clamp assembly described above for themaster key. As the extracted blank B is pushed into the slot between theupper clamp 90 a and the lower clamp 90 b, the outboard (top) edge ofthe blade of the key blank engages a guide roller 88 that has acircumferential channel or groove for ensuring proper guidance andalignment of the blank in the clamp assembly 90. The guide roller 88 isjournaled on the end of an arm 88 a that is pivotably attached to thekiosk frame at 89 and is biased to pivot toward the clamp assembly 90 bya spring 88 b. The arm 88 a passes through a sensor 88 c that indicateswhen it is moved outwardly by a key blank, to produce a “Blank Present”signal that is sent to the kiosk controller (see FIGS. 43 and 44).

The clamp assembly 90 is open while the extracted key blank B is beingadvanced between the upper and lower clamps 90 a, 90 b, and an opticalsensor in the clamp assembly 90 detects the entry of the blank into theclamp assembly and produces a “Blank Present” signal that is sent to thekiosk controller. The optical sensor 91 is built into the clamp assembly90. Specifically, a light source 91 a is built into the lower clamp 90 band a photodetector 91 b is built into the upper clamp 90 a, with thelight beam passing through the key-blank slot between the two clamps.Thus, when the key blank being extracted enters between the two clamps90 a and 90 b, the sensor is tripped by interruption of the light beam.

The final position at which the key blank B stops within the clampassembly 90 is determined by one of two or more different stops. Forlonger key blanks, the tip of the blade of the key blank engages a stopblock 92 on the front side of the clamp assembly 90. For shorter keyblanks, the left-hand (bottom) shoulder of the key blank, as viewed fromthe front of the kiosk, engages the rear side wall of the lower clamp 90b. After the key-blank extractor 86 has reached its most advancedposition, and the “Blank Present” signal is still present, the clampassembly 90 is closed by lowering the upper clamp 90 a, in the samemanner described above for the master key clamp assembly, to press thekey blank tightly down against the lower clamp 90 b. The key blank isthen ready to be cut to reproduce the clamped master key.

Referring next to FIGS. 48-59, the edge of the key blank B thatprotrudes from the clamp assembly 90 is cut by a cutting wheel 131 (seeFIGS. 56 and 58-59). During the cutting of the selected key blank, themaster key and the cutting wheel 131 remain in fixed positions, whilethe key blank B to be cut and a follower 132 for tracing the toothpattern on the master key move as a single unit along an axis that isparallel to the axes of the blades of the clamped master key K and theclamped key blank B. Specifically, the key-blank clamp assembly 90 andthe follower 132 are both mounted on a base 133, which in turn ismounted on a carrier 134 that is driven along a rail 135 by a motor 136that turns a drive screw 137 threaded through the carrier 134. Movementof the carrier 134 along the rail 135 moves both the key-blank clampassembly 90 and the follower 132 in unison along an axis parallel to theaxes of the blades of the clamped key and key blank. To permit movementof the blank clamp assembly 90 and the follower 132 in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to the axes of the blades of the clamped keyand key blank, the base 133 is mounted on a shaft 138 journaled in thecarrier 134, with a spring 139 urging the base 133 to pivot about theshaft 138 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 48-55. This springbias on the base 133 enables the follower 132 to follow the toothpattern of the master key K, and enables the clamped key blank B tofollow the pattern of movement of the follower 132 as the followertraverses the length of the blade of the master key K. Thus, the cuttingwheel 131 cuts a tooth pattern in the clamped key blank B thatreproduces the tooth pattern of the master key K, as depicted in FIGS.58 and 59.

As can be seen in FIGS. 58 and 59, the cutting wheel 131 is orientedwith an angled edge 131 a facing the clamped key blank B. FIG. 59 showsthe system in mid-operation with a portion of the tooth profile of themaster key K already reproduced in the key blank B.

When the follower 132 is not aligned with the master key K, pivotingmovement of the base 133 about the shaft 138 is limited by a cam 140, asshown in FIGS. 48-55. In addition, the cam 140 can be rotated todifferent positions to pivot the base 133, about the shaft 138, toretract the follower 132 and the key-blank clamp assembly 90 topositions where the follower 132 and the key blank B cannot engage themaster key K and the cutting wheel 131, respectively. The differentangular positions of the cam 140, and thus the base 133, duringdifferent stages of a key-duplicating process, are shown in FIGS. 48-55.In FIGS. 30-48, the cam 140 is in its intermediate position where thebase 133 is level, while the extracted key blank B is being clamped. InFIG. 49, the cam 140 is in its high position where the base 133 istilted back, away from the cam 140 and against the bias of the spring139, while the carrier 134 moves the clamped key blank into alignmentwith the cutting wheel 131 and the follower 132 into alignment with theclamped master key K and moves the follower 132 along the master key.

FIG. 50 shows the clamped key blank B aligned with the cutting wheel 131and the follower 132 aligned with the master key K, with the cam 140still in its high position. In FIG. 51, the cam 140 is in its lowposition where the base 133 is tilted forward, toward the cam 140, sothat the spring 139 urges the key blank B against the cutting wheel 131,and also urges the follower 132 against the master key K, while thecarrier 134 moves the follower along the blade of the master key K, andthe blade of the key blank B across the cutting wheel 131, to cut atooth pattern in the key blank that reproduces the tooth pattern of themaster key. The tooth profiles of the clamped master key K and theclamped key blank B can be seen more clearly in the enlarged top planviews of this key-duplicating operation in FIGS. 58 and 59.

In FIG. 48, the cam 140 is in its intermediate position where the base133 is level, while the extracted key blank B is being clamped. FIG. 53shows the cut key blank B aligned with the de-burring (e.g., wire-brush)wheel 141, with the cam 140 is still in its high position. In FIG. 54,the cam 140 has been returned to its low position where the base 133 istilted toward the cam 140, while the de-burring wheel 140 is driven toclean debris from the freshly cut teeth. After de-burring, the duplicatekey is discharged from the clamp assembly by opening the clamp andenergizing a solenoid to move an ejector pin 142. In FIG. 55, thecarrier has been returned to its starting position where the key blankwas first clamped. The ejected duplicate key slides down a dispensingchute 143 into the duplicate-key output tray 15 in the front of thekiosk.

Most of the key-cutting wheel 131 and the de-burring wheel 141 areenclosed in respective vacuum shrouds 144 and 145 coupled to a commonvacuum source for removing debris caused by the cutting process. The twovacuum shrouds 144 and 145 are coupled to the common vacuum source byrespective conduits 147 and 148, both of which join a single conduit 149leading to the vacuum source. As can be seen in FIG. 60, the only partsof the cutting wheel 131 and de-burring wheel 141 that are not enclosedby the respective shrouds 144 and 145 are the segments of the wheelsurfaces that engage the key blank to cut and de-burr the teeth of theduplicate key. In the illustrative embodiment, the cutting wheel 131 andthe de-burring wheel 141 are mounted on two separate shafts 150 and 151.The axis of the de-burring-wheel shaft 151 is positioned slightly belowthe key blank, and the de-burring wheel shaft 151 is rotated in adirection opposite that of the cutting-wheel shaft 150 so that the toothedges of the key blank that are first engaged by the de-burring wheel141 are the edges last engaged by the cutting wheel 131, which are theedges that contain any burrs or other debris remaining from the cuttingoperation.

A small digital video camera, e.g., a webcam, is mounted in the interiorof the kiosk for recording and transmitting video and photo images ofdifferent regions of the interior of the kiosk. These video images maybe used for different purposes, such as troubleshooting a kiosk that hasreported a malfunction such as an inability to complete a preselectednumber of customer-initiated transactions within a preselected timeperiod, repairing detected malfunctions, monitoring the condition ofparts that need periodic replacement such as cutting tools and cleaningbrushes, monitoring the condition of items that require maintenance suchas the vacuum system that accumulates the debris from the cutting andbrushing operations, monitoring the numbers of different types of keyblanks remaining in the key-blank magazines, etc. The video output ofthe digital video camera is coupled to the cell modem, for periodictransmission to the server 210 in the central office 204 and/or to alocal service provider for a number of kiosks within a given geographicregion. The video camera can also be remotely controlled for producingvideo images upon receipt of command signals from a remote computer suchas the server 201. Video images from the camera can also be transmittedto the kiosk display, to replace or supplement the viewing window in thekiosk that allows customers to view the key-duplicating operations.

For example, if an error report is sent regarding malfunctioning sensorsin the kiosk, the webcam allows a remote user to monitor the robotthrough the webcam and help determine which sensors are not workingproperly. The remote user can then remotely control the kiosk, or resetor re-initialize the kiosk if necessary. In addition to being able tomonitor everything that is going on within the kiosk. the webcam cantake high resolution photographs of a problematic area, which can thenbe further analyzed at a remote location to determine what mitigationsteps need to be taken. For example, if the webcam shows that a key isjammed in the kiosk, that problem can be fixed by remotely commandingthe kiosk to eject the jammed key.

FIG. 61 is a diagram of a network of multiple interactive,key-duplicating kiosks 200 a, 200 b 200 n communicating with a remoteserver 201 via the communication interface 24 b in each kiosk. Thecommunication interface 24 b in each kiosk connects that kiosk to anetwork 213 such as the Internet or a local network with Internetaccess. A computer system 204 in a remote central office has access viacommunication lines 205 and 206 to the server 201, which receives,stores and compiles data from all the kiosks 200 a-200 n and reportsback to the central office computer system 204.

The kiosks 200 a-200 n communicate independently with a credit cardpayment processor 207 via communication line 208. The credit cardpayment processor 207 may also communicate with the central office 204via lines 211 and 212. Upon reading customers' credit cards during thepayment processes, the kiosks 200 a-200 n send the credit card datathrough a wireless connection to the processor 207, which checks to seeif each card is authorized for the requested amount and reports theresult to the kiosk. When a request for credit card payment reports issent to the processor 207 from the central office via line 211, thepayment processor 207 sends back the requested credit card paymentnotification via line 212.

The individual kiosks 200 a-200 n also communicate independently withindividual customers 209 via communication line 210, such as when akiosk sends an email receipt of a completed transaction to the customerat the email address supplied to the kiosk by that customer.

The server 201 maintains a list of all the kiosks available for remoteaccess, and enables a connection to be made between the central officecomputer 204 and any kiosk linked to the server 201. This allows forclose monitoring of the kiosks and provides the capability of remotelymanaging most issues that can arise with the kiosks 200 a-200 n. Thekiosks periodically report order transaction information and errorinformation to the server 201 via communication line 202. The ordertransaction information includes details of every completed transaction.The error information includes any technical, mechanical, electrical orother issues that a kiosk is experiencing, or has experienced. When theserver 201 receives error information, it automatically sends an emailnotification regarding the errors to the central office 204. The serveralso maintains recorded information about each customer's keyway and keyprofile, allowing customers to later request a copy of their key to bemailed to them.

The processor 24 in each kiosk includes a “Remote Maintenance Tool”(RMT) program that produces displays of (1) the status of all thecontrollable devices and sensors within the kiosk, and (2) multiplecommands that can be selected by an operator to energize or de-energizethe controllable devices to permit remote manual control of thosedevices and their associated mechanisms. The Remote Management Tool(RMT) has several functions and uses, such as moving selected motors,solenoids and parts within the kiosk, testing systems and subsystems,viewing the signals from various sensors in the kiosk in real time, andcommanding movement of specified motors incrementally or to bring themto specific defined positions. These tools, used together, and alongwith the live video, allows a remote expert to fix and/or troubleshootissues efficiently and accurately. These extensive tools allow theremote expert to pinpoint the issue without visiting the complex kiosk.If the expert cannot fix the kiosk remotely, the expert can manage afield technician through the fix. The remote expert can upload photosand videos, send instructions to the kiosk, and walk the fieldtechnician through the fix, in real time using the various remote tools,webcam and on-screen commands. This allows a layman or a technician withlittle experience to fix an extremely complex kiosk.

FIGS. 62 and 63 are screen shots of the two principal displays generatedby the RMT. FIG. 62 is an example of the “I/O Test Form” display, whichshows the status of all the sensors and controllable devices in thekiosk, and also includes command buttons that can be used for remotemanual control of selected controllable devices in the kiosk. Thesebuttons may take the form of touch-screen buttons, selected by touchingthe touch screen, or buttons to be selected by using a mouse to positiona cursor over one of them and then clicking on it. The command buttonscan be displayed simultaneously on the kiosk display and a remotedisplay, but the kiosk processor is preferably programmed to disable thecommand buttons on the kiosk display when those buttons are being usedremotely.

The key blank extractor is identified in the display in FIG. 62 as the“push finger,” and the display shows whether it is in its advanced(“extended”) position or its retracted position. In this example, thepush finger is indicated to be in the retracted position. If neither ofthese position is indicated, that means the push finger is somewherebetween the retracted and advanced positions. The two buttons labeled“Blank Key Push Finger Extended” and “Blank Key Push Finger Retracted,”to the left of the position indicators for the push finger, can be usedto energize the drive motor for the push finger to move it to itsadvanced or retracted position. For example, a kiosk may report that itfailed in pushing a key blank from the magazine to the blank clamp (theblank is jammed). The remote expert logs in to that kiosk remotely anduses the RMT display in FIG. 62 to check the RETRACTED sensor andEXTENDED sensor positions for the extractor. The expert will find thatit is either RETRACTED, EXTENDED or neither (in which case it issomewhere between the two positions). The remote expert can also checkthe sensor that indicates whether a key blank is detected in the blankclamp (another clue as to what is going on), and may look at the remotevideo to see whether the blank has been pushed partially out of themagazine. The remote expert may then choose to dislodge the jammed blankby “ramming it” with the extractor, by clicking (e.g., by use of a mouseat the central office computer) on the “Blank Key Push Finger Retract”button and then on the “Blank Key Push Finger Extend” button.Alternatively, the remote expert may choose to clamp a partiallyextracted blank (by clicking the “Clamp Blank Key” button), and thenmove the blank to the dump position for disposal (by clicking on the“MOVE Y 4000” button). Clicking on the “PIVOT IN” button brings theblank close to the discharge chute, and clicking on the UNCLAMP MASTERKEY button and then the KEY EJECT button dispenses the blank. The remoteexpert can watch all these operations, live, through the remote videocamera.

The display in FIG. 63 includes command buttons for remote manualcontrol of additional controllable devices in the kiosk. By clicking onthe various buttons in this display in the remote central office, aremote operator can manually initiate individual movements of thevarious components and mechanisms in the kiosk, and can also control theenergization and de-energization of components such as the indicatorlights on the front panel of the kiosk, the vacuum source, the motors,etc. For example, the “Cutter On” and “Cutter Off” buttons in the upperright corner are used to turn the cutting wheel on and off. The upperleft side of the display in FIG. 63 can be used to command selectedmotors to specified positions, or to move specified distances, alongeither a vertical (“X”) axis or a horizontal (“Y”) axis. For example,the motor that drives the key blank magazine can be commanded to move toany of its 16 positions along its X axis to bring any of its 16 verticalchannels into alignment with the extractor mechanism. Buttons are alsoprovided to select different speeds of movement. For any selected motor,the values of a number of different, parameters listed in the “Setting”column, are displayed for the commanded movement of that motor, ineither the “X axis” column or the “Y axis” column.

FIG. 64 is an example of an image transmitted to the remote server 201from the video camera in a kiosk, in this case showing a top view of thefront side of the key blank magazine and the adjacent mechanism forreceiving an extracted blank. The video image (FIG. 64) can be displayedside-by-side with the display of FIG. 62 and/or 63 (either on the samedisplay device or two different devices) at a site remote from the kioskbeing inspected, while the operator examines and manipulates themechanisms within the kiosk. Thus, the operator can observe theoperations resulting from his or her manual commands, as well as theresults of those operations. This process can often fix the problembeing addressed, and, if not, can identify the specific task that needsto be performed by a visit to the kiosk in question. Consequently, thekiosk can be fixed on site by inexperienced personnel, e.g., the samepersonnel who replenish the supply of key blanks, because the centraloffice personnel can tell the field personnel exactly what needs to bedone and what repair parts will be needed.

Examples of information automatically reported by each kiosk 200 a-200 nto the remote server 201 are “invalid keyways” detected on master keys(which means such keys cannot be duplicated in the kiosks), theinsertion of master keys that are too long or too short to be duplicatedin the kiosks, detected misalignment of a master key after clamping,credit card rejections, insertions of credit cards that could not beread, etc. All this data is analyzed, either in the server 201 or in thecentral office computer, and reports of the results of these analysesare generated and either distributed automatically or stored forperiodic reviews by authorized personnel. For example, one type ofreport compares the data collected from any given kiosk with the sametype of data from other kiosks in a similar market or geographicalregion, or even all the other kiosks in the network. Another type ofreport compares the latest data from a given kiosk with the historicalaverages of the same types of data from that same kiosk, so thatdeviations from chronological trends can be detected and analyzed, andalerts can be generated if the current data falls outside an acceptablerange.

For example, if a problem develops with the keyway identification systemin a given kiosk, causing that kiosk to generate false rejections, theaverage percentage of master keys, and thus customers, that are rejectedwill increase for that kiosk. This increase will appear in the “health”reports for that kiosk, which can then be inspected, virtually and/orphysically.

The kiosks 200 a-200 n also conduct self tests and report the results tothe remote server 201. For example, after each order, readings are takenfrom all the sensors and compared to predetermined thresholds or rangesrepresenting normal operation of each sensor. If the reading taken fromany sensor deviates from the predetermined threshold or range, thatsensor may not be functioning, not functioning properly, or even have adesign flaw. Such a reading may also be indicative of malfunctioninghardware associated with that sensor. Regular reporting of the resultsof the automatic self tests enable early detection and correction ofsuch issues, thereby reducing the down time for all the networkedkiosks.

Another example of a self test is the automatic cycling of moving partsin the kiosk at predetermined times to determine whether those partssuccessfully move to known positions within a specified time intervals.These self tests can indicate whether a specific motor is moving,whether a specific part is moving, whether specific movements occurwithin the specified time intervals, whether specific sensors arefunctional, etc. If any of the preselected criteria are not met in theseself tests, the kiosk automatically sends an alert to the remote serverso that the part in question can be quickly inspected and correctiveaction taken.

After an error has been corrected, a remote user in the central officemay virtually run a test sequence to confirm that the problem has indeedbeen rectified. The server also allows troubleshooting ofsoftware-related issues, and can be used to update the software in thekiosks. Promotions and advertisements the customer sees on the kioskdisplay screen can also be updated and controlled via the server 201.

Other communications sent by the kiosks to the server 201 include dailysales and transaction reports which contain a compilation of sales andtransaction data, including the total number of transactions and thecorresponding dollar amount, for the day. These reports also helpmaintain the key blank inventory. If a key blank magazine, or certaincompartments of a magazine, are reported as being depleted or low onstock, the webcam may be used to confirm the stock level and updates canthen be made accordingly. The central server 201 can also monitor andcorrelate data from each kiosk with data from other sources, such asreports from the facilities in which the kiosks are located andhistorical records maintained for each kiosk. For example, returns ofduplicate keys made by the kiosks are handled by customer calls to atoll-free number, and the server 201 maintains a rate-of-return recordfor each individual kiosk and for different groups of kiosks, e.g., byretail organization and/or by geographical region. An increase in therate-of-return for a particular kiosk by more than a certain amountabove the average for all kiosks indicates that a problem might existfor that particular kiosk and, therefore, it should be inspected.Another example is comparing the rate of rejection of customers, basedon the insertion of keys having unsupported keyways, by a particularkiosk compared with other kiosks located in similar markets or stores.The maintenance record of each kiosk may also be periodically comparedwith other kiosks of similar age and usage rates. The results of theseand other analyses can be used to identify issues before they becomeserious and before they have a significant effect on sales and/orrelationships with store personnel.

A “log file” is preferably maintained for the entire history of eachindividual kiosk, and this historical log file may be consulted at anytime to determine whether the kiosk has a history of experiencing aparticular problem. For example, if a given kiosk experiences master keyalignment problems, the remote operator may check the log file for thatkiosk to determine whether it has a history of master key alignmentproblems and, if it does, to arrange for corrective action to be taken.

Kiosks of the type described above are capable of providing return ratesof less than 1%, and the time required to produce a single duplicate ofa master key is less than about 70 seconds. The remote communicationsystem permits these and other performance parameters to be continuouslymonitored, so that any deviation can be promptly detected, andcorrective actions can also be taken promptly. Mis-cut returns for eachkiosk can be monitored in near real time by matching the customer makinga return to the time, date and location of the kiosk used to make thereturned key, and building a mis-cut timeline for each kiosk. Fieldpersonnel can also be provided with special master keys that are used tomake duplicate keys that are returned to the central office formeasurement and analysis for any corrective action that might be needed.

The remote communication system can minimize down time for all deployedkiosks by monitoring alert signals generated automatically by each kioskwhen a questionable condition is detected. These signals can beinvestigated immediately by central office personnel who can take thenecessary corrective action to ensure that a kiosk that sent an alertdoes not go down, or to promptly restore that kiosk to normal operation.This central-office monitoring and remote fixing reduces reaction timeand also provides more consistent and accurate maintenance by fieldpersonnel with more limited experience on many issues that arise inmaintaining a kiosk, as compared with highly trained personnel in thecentral office. Central remote fixing allows experts located at thecentral office to obtain a large amount of detailed information aboutany given kiosk in a large network, and to use the webcam to quicklyidentify a problem while a field technician is dispatched to themachine. When the technician arrives on scene, the central office cansend visual and audio demonstrations to the kiosk display to remotelyguide the technician in efficiently resolving the problem. Centralmonitoring is also more effective in dealing with a problem, such as abad lot of key blanks, that originates from a single source but resultsin problems distributed over a number of different kiosks.

If an alert signal relates to a problem caused by the customer, a dialogcan be initiated between the customer and an operator at the remotecentral computer. This dialog is initiated by displaying a message fromthe remote computer in a chat box on the display of the kiosk, alongwith a virtual keyboard so that the customer can respond. For example,if a customer neglects to remove his or her key from the kiosk after atransaction has been completed, an alert is sent to the central officecomputer at the expiration of a preselected time interval following thedispensing of a duplicate key. An operator at the central office canthen cause the chat box to be displayed on the kiosk screen and send thecustomer a message asking if there is a problem in removing thecustomer's key from the kiosk. The customer can respond using thevirtual keyboard displayed on the kiosk below the chat box, and theensuing exchange of messages can result in removal of the customer's keyfrom the kiosk.

While particular embodiments and applications of the present inventionhave been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited to the precise construction and compositionsdisclosed herein and that various modifications, changes, and variationsmay be apparent from the foregoing descriptions without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.For example, the master key inserted by the customer could be analyzedand matched to an original code that is then used to control the cuttingof the duplicate key(s), rather than using the master key as a real-timepattern for cutting the duplicate. In this case, the remotecommunication system could be used to pre-order the cutting of aduplicate key using a code identified by the customer. Anotheralternative is to add a printing station to create different styles ofkeys in the key, to avoid the need to store different styles of blanksfor the same type.

1-12. (canceled)
 13. A network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosksfor duplicating keys, the network comprising: a multiplicity of thekiosks at different locations, each of the individual kiosks including acustomer interface for conducting a key copying transaction, akey-receiving entry for receiving at least a portion of an original keyto be duplicated, the original key having a tooth pattern on a blade ofthe original key, a key analysis system for analyzing the blade of theoriginal key, and a key duplicating system within the kiosk forreplicating the tooth pattern of the blade of the original key on ablade of a first key blank to form a first key copy; and a remotecentral server coupled to the kiosks for receiving information from andsending information to the kiosks, the remote central server maintainingrecorded information for replicating the tooth pattern of the blade ofthe original key on a blade of a second key blank to form a second keycopy.
 14. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim13, further comprising a processor within each of the kiosks, theprocessor being coupled to at least one of the customer interface, thekey analysis system, and the key duplicating system, the processor beingprogrammed to transmit the recorded information to the remote centralserver.
 15. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim13, wherein the second key copy is formed without repeating thereceiving of the original key into the key-receiving entry.
 16. Thenetwork of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 13, wherein therecorded information includes keyway and key profile information for theoriginal key.
 17. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks ofclaim 13, wherein the remote central server receives a customer requestfor mailing the second key copy.
 18. The network of self-service,fully-automatic kiosks of claim 17, wherein the customer request for thesecond key copy is received after the customer has completed the keycopying transaction.
 19. A method of duplicating keys in a network ofself-service, fully-automatic kiosks at different locations, each kioskhaving a customer interface for conducting a key copying transaction,and a remote central server coupled to the kiosks for receivinginformation from and sending information to the kiosks, the methodcomprising: receiving at least a portion of an original key to beduplicated in a key-receiving entry in one kiosks of the fully-automatickiosks, the original key having a blade with a tooth pattern; analyzingthe blade of the original key inserted in the key-receiving entry anddetermining a key profile and a keyway; in response to the receiving andanalyzing of the original key, replicating the tooth pattern of theoriginal key on a blade of a first key blank to form a first key copy;and maintaining recorded information on the remote central server forreplicating the tooth pattern of the blade of the original key on ablade of a second key blank to form a second key copy.
 20. The method ofclaim 19, further comprising transmitting, via a processor within arespective kiosk, the recorded information to the remote central server.21. The method of claim 19, further comprising forming the second keycopy without repeating the receiving or the analyzing of the originalkey.
 22. The method of claim 19, wherein the recorded informationincludes the key profile and the keyway information of the original key.23. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving a customerrequest for mailing the second key copy.
 24. The method of claim 23,further comprising receiving the customer request for the second keycopy after the customer has completed the key copying transaction.
 25. Anetwork of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks for duplicating keys,the network comprising: a multiplicity of the kiosks at differentlocations, each of the individual kiosks including a customer interfacefor conducting a key copying transaction, a key-receiving entry forreceiving at least a portion of an original key to be duplicated, theoriginal key having a tooth pattern on a blade of the original key, akey analysis system for analyzing the blade of the original key, and akey duplicating system within the kiosk for replicating the toothpattern of blades of original keys on a blade of a key blank to form akey copy; and a remote central server coupled to the kiosks forreceiving information from and sending information to the kiosks, theremote central server maintaining recorded information for replicatingthe tooth pattern of blades of original keys on blades of key blanks toform key copies.
 26. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosksof claim 25, further comprising a connection enabled between the remotecentral server and any of the individual kiosks.
 27. The network ofself-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 25, wherein the remotecentral server receives a request for one or more of the key copies tobe mailed to a customer.
 28. The network of self-service,fully-automatic kiosks of claim 27, wherein the request is received froma customer.
 29. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks ofclaim 28, wherein the request is received via one of the individualkiosks.
 30. A key-duplicating system comprising a network that includes:a multiplicity of kiosks at a multiplicity of different locations, eachof the kiosks having a customer interface and a processor coupled to thecustomer interface; a remote central server coupled to the kiosks andadapted to receive, from the kiosks, information identifying master keysto be duplicated; a key analysis module for using the informationidentifying master keys to be duplicated to derive information requiredto produce duplicates of the identified master keys; and a keyduplicating module for producing duplicates of the identified masterkeys by using the information required to produce duplicates of theidentified master keys.
 31. The key-duplicating system of claim 30 inwhich the master key information is stored in a memory coupled to theremote central server.
 32. The key-duplicating system of claim 30,wherein at least one of the remote central server and a kiosk of themultiplicity of kiosks sends communications to customers.
 33. Thekey-duplicating system of claim 32, wherein the communications includereceipts for completed transactions.
 34. The key-duplicating system ofclaim 33, wherein the receipts are using contact information received atthe at least one kiosk.
 35. A key-duplicating method comprising:providing a network including a multiplicity of kiosks at a multiplicityof different locations, each of the kiosks having a customer interfaceand a processor coupled to the customer interface; transmittinginformation identifying master keys to be duplicated, from the kiosks toa remote central server coupled to the kiosks; deriving informationrequired to produce duplicates of the identified master keys, from theinformation identifying master keys to be duplicated; and producingduplicates of the identified master keys by using the informationrequired to produce duplicates of the identified master keys.
 36. Themethod of claim 35, further comprising transmitting, via at least oneprocessor within a respective kiosk or within the remote central server,communications to customers.
 37. The method of claim 36, wherein thecommunications include receipts for completed transactions.
 38. Themethod of claim 37, further comprising sending, via the processor withinthe respective kiosk or within the remote central server, the receiptsusing contact information received at the at least one kiosk.
 39. Anetwork of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks for duplicating keys,the network comprising a multiplicity of the kiosks at differentlocations, a remote central server coupled to the kiosks for receivinginformation from and sending information to the kiosks, each of theindividual kiosks comprising: a kiosk housing having a customerinterface for receiving payment from a customer for the purchase of atleast one duplicate of the customer's key, a key-receiving entry in thehousing for receiving at least a portion of the customer's key to beduplicated, a key analysis system within the housing for analyzing theblade of a key inserted in the key-receiving entry to determine whetherthe inserted key matches one of a group of preselected key types and, ifso, which preselected key type is matched, a key blank storage areawithin the housing for storing key blanks for each of the preselectedkey types, a key blank extraction system for extracting from the storagearea a key blank for the preselected key type matched by the blade ofthe key inserted in the key-receiving entry, a key duplicating systemwithin the kiosk for replicating the tooth pattern of the blade of thekey inserted in the key-receiving entry, on the blade of the extractedkey blank, a processor within the kiosk and coupled to at least thecustomer interface, and a communications port coupled to the processorfor communicating with the remote central server in communications thatinclude at least one of information from the kiosk regarding thepurchases made in the kiosk, and information regarding the key blankscontained in the storage area in the kiosk.
 40. The network ofself-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 39 in which the storagearea in the individual kiosks includes a sensor for generating a signalwhen the number of key blanks, of any of the preselected types, storedin the kiosk is reduced to a preselected threshold.
 41. The network ofself-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 39 in which the customerinterfaces in the individual kiosks include a payment device coupled tothe processor in the individual kiosks, and the processor is programmedto transmit payment information from the payment devices to a remoteprocessor.
 42. A method of duplicating keys in a network ofself-service, fully-automatic kiosks at different locations, each havinga customer interface for receiving payment from a customer for thepurchase of at least one duplicate of the customer's key, and a remotecentral server coupled to the kiosks for receiving information from andsending information to the kiosks, the method comprising: receiving atleast a portion of the customer's key to be duplicated in akey-receiving entry in the kiosks; analyzing the blade of the keyinserted in the key-receiving entry and determining whether the insertedkey matches one of a group of preselected key types and, if so, whichpreselected key type is matched; storing key blanks for each of thepreselected key types in a key blank storage area within the kiosks;extracting from the storage area a key blank for the preselected keytype matched by the blade of the key inserted in the key-receivingentry; replicating the tooth pattern of the blade of the key inserted inthe key-receiving entry, on the blade of the extracted key blank, withinthe kiosks; providing customer access to the key with the replicatedtooth pattern for removal from the kiosks; and communicating with theremote central server remote from each of the kiosks to provide theremote central server with at least one of: information from each of thekiosks regarding the purchases made in the kiosks, and informationregarding the key blanks contained in each of the kiosks.
 43. The methodof claim 42 in which the kiosks include sensors for generating signalswhen the number of key blanks, of any of the preselected types, storedin a kiosk is reduced to a preselected threshold.
 44. The method ofclaim 42 in which the customer interfaces in the individual kiosksinclude a payment device coupled to the processor in the individualkiosks, and the processor is programmed to transmit payment informationfrom the payment devices to a remote processor.
 45. The network ofself-service, fully automatic kiosks of claim 39 in which thereplicating is effected by replicating the tooth pattern of the keyinserted in the key-receiving entry.
 46. The network of self-service,fully automatic kiosks of claim 39 in which the customer interfaceincludes a touch screen to enable a customer to enter information intothe kiosk.
 47. The network of self-service, fully automatic kiosks ofclaim 46 in which the touch screen displays requests for the customer toenter the customer's contact information via the touch screen.
 48. Thenetwork of self-service, fully automatic kiosks of claim 46 in which thetouch screen displays options that the customer can select via the touchscreen.
 49. The network of self-service, fully automatic kiosks of claim39 in which the communications with the remote central server includethe types of key blanks selected by customers using each of the kiosks,and the remote central server contains information regarding thegeographical location of each kiosk and the identification of the storein which each kiosk is located so that the server can correlate types ofkey blanks selected by customers with geographical regions or storeidentifications.
 50. The network of self-service, fully automatic kiosksof claim 39 in which the processors in the individual kiosks areprogrammed to display purchase options for a customer.
 51. The method ofclaim 42 in which the replicating is effected by cutting the blade ofthe extracted key blank to match the tooth pattern of the key insertedin the key-receiving entry.
 52. The method of claim 42 in which thecustomer interface includes a touch screen to enable a customer to enterinformation into the kiosk.
 53. The method of claim 52 in which thetouch screen displays requests for the customer to enter the customer'scontact information via the touch screen.
 54. The method of claim 52 inwhich the touch screen displays options that the customer can select viathe touch screen.
 55. The method of claim 42 in which the processors inthe individual kiosks are programmed to display purchase options for acustomer.
 56. A network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks forduplicating keys, the network comprising: a multiplicity of the kiosksat different locations, each of the individual kiosks including acustomer interface for conducting a key copying transaction, akey-receiving entry for receiving at least a portion of an original keyto be duplicated, a key analysis system for analyzing the original key,and a key duplicating system within the kiosk for replicating theoriginal key to form a first key copy; and a remote central servercoupled to the kiosks for receiving information from and sendinginformation to the kiosks, the remote central server maintainingrecorded information for replicating the original key to form a secondkey copy.
 57. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks ofclaim 56, further comprising a processor within each of the kiosks, theprocessor being coupled to at least one of the customer interface, thekey analysis system, and the key duplicating system, the processor beingprogrammed to transmit the recorded information to the remote centralserver.
 58. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim56, wherein the second key copy is formed without repeating thereceiving of the original key into the key-receiving entry.
 59. Thenetwork of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 56, wherein theremote central server receives a customer request for mailing the secondkey copy.
 60. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks ofclaim 56, wherein the customer interface includes a touch screen thatdisplays requests for the customer to enter the customer's contactinformation via the touch screen.